FROLIC SPENT the next week and a half in the cluttered corner of their home serving as his workshop, surrounded by wires, gears, metal tubing, leather, and canvas. Today, he sat with his legs crossed in front of a wooden plank propped on two cement blocks and a large needle in his hand, inlaying a brown leather vest with strips of thin metal for Reg. He’d already fashioned a similar pair of trousers, reinforcing the knees and seat and adding a row of brass rivets up the sides of the legs. Before they left on their excursion with Lord Starling, he wanted to make Reg a matching pair of gloves with metal knobs on the knuckles and design a way for his pistols to load automatically and carry more ammunition. He didn’t think designing a clockwork delivery system would be difficult, but it would take time to implement without destroying the aesthetic of the antique guns, and they’d be leaving the following morning. Reg still needed goggles, and the spring mechanism on Querry’s grapple had been catching. Frolic stitched up the seam on the vest, set it aside, spread a fresh piece of leather over his bench, and picked up the scissors.
He looked wistfully over his shoulder at a rusted anvil. A little bird sat on top, small enough to nestle in Frolic’s palm. He set the shears down, picked it up, and wound the little knob hidden beneath the engraved, brass feathers of its tail. When Frolic set it on the floor, it gave a little hop, cocked its head, and blinked its eyes. Frolic smiled as his creation stepped lightly over the floor, but his smile dropped away as it spread its wings and beat them twice. He’d been trying for months to figure out how to make it fly, but despite the gears within being as small as flies’ wings, it was still too heavy to get off the ground. Even with his enhanced vision, Frolic didn’t think he could construct clockwork any smaller. He looked down at his knuckles and moved his fingers, watching the play of artificial bone and sinew beneath his skin. Some of the gears within him were only a fraction of the size of those within his bird. How had his creator managed it? Not for the first time, Frolic wished he could speak with the man who made him. He had so many questions about his existence no one else could ever answer. Why had he been made as he had? Were his thoughts and feelings his own, or had they been engineered by his creator? Did he respond to things around him as he did simply because he’d been built to do so?
Querry would tell him there was no order to life; it was just a string of random, chaotic, and unrelated events to be exploited by the clever and talented. He would tell Frolic to do what made him happy. Reg would stroke his curls, smile his gentle smile, and admit he didn’t know. Frolic needed more. He needed to understand how much of him had been predetermined by his maker, and how much he could claim as his own identity.
Frolic reached beneath his shirt and fondled the detailed metal feather he wore on a chain around his neck, remembering the beautiful clockwork angels that frightening faerie Querry knew had destroyed. They, like Frolic, had been designed as part of a magic-syphoning device, a horrifying weapon. For some reason, Frolic’s creator had given him alone the will to choose, made him look completely human, and given him perfect, functioning human anatomy. Querry and Reg suspected he’d done it to thwart the men who’d forced him to construct the horrible weapon, that perhaps he’d done it out of a love he’d formed for Frolic as he built him. They said he’d wanted Frolic free and happy. Frolic just couldn’t be sure.
To distract himself, Frolic returned to his work, wishing he had some music to keep him company. By the time Querry and Reg returned home just as the sun started to set, he’d finished everything but Querry’s grapple. If needs be, he could continue working on it during the voyage. After all, it would be a long one. Maybe it would give him time to work out his little bird. He hated unoccupied time; it encouraged thinking, which led to confusion. He loved working with Querry, because it didn’t leave him even a second to get lost in his head.
Querry punched Reg playfully in the shoulder as he pushed the door shut with the side of his foot. Both of them looked pleased, and Frolic felt relieved they weren’t quarreling anymore. Querry set a basket full of cucumbers, tomatoes, and spinach on the table. Reg, his cheeks and the bridge of his nose painted pink by the sun, set down a few bottles of wine and a fishy-smelling package wrapped in brown paper. They’d all agreed to share a special meal before leaving yet another home behind. Reg walked over to Frolic and bent his waist to kiss the top of Frolic’s head. He smelled of warm skin and the sea. Frolic liked it.
“I finished the things I’ve been working on for you,” Frolic said as he stood up, proud of all he’d accomplished. “Try them on.” He handed Reg the trousers, vest, and gloves.
“Go on, then,” Querry said with a mischievous smile.
Reg looked around the room. They’d been lovers for almost a year, but Reg still flushed at changing in front of them. Frolic had never understood the human notion of hiding their bodies, but he found Reg’s shyness endearing. Slowly, Reg stepped out of his shoes and worn trousers and put on the garments Frolic made.
Querry whistled when Reg’d finished, and Frolic admired his partner’s lean body beneath the snug, armored leather. He looked absolutely dashing, and Frolic said so.
“Damn,” Querry agreed. “Seeing you in that gear might make this whole ordeal worthwhile.” He ran the tip of his tongue across his upper lip and his hand over the swell of Reg’s leather-encased ass.
“Thank you,” Reg said, reaching for Frolic and drawing him near. “These are quite beautiful.”
“They’re to keep you safe,” Frolic said, stroking Reg’s hot cheek.
From behind Reg’s shoulder, Querry gave Frolic a wink and a grin. Frolic returned it and stretched his neck to give first Querry, then Reg, a quick peck before showing them how he’d improved the guns.
“I’m so glad you two are back,” Frolic admitted. “I get lonely faster than I should.”
“You should have come with us to the market,” Querry said.
Reg nodded. “We had quite a lovely time. It would have been better with you there, though.”
“Well, I wanted to finish,” Frolic said. “We’ll still have to find you some better boots, though, Reggie.”
“And a sword,” Querry added.
“Another time,” Reg said. “I’m famished, and the seafood won’t keep. Let’s get dinner going.”
Preparing the evening meal together was one of Frolic’s favorite parts of the day, even though he didn’t eat. He liked the way they all worked together, Querry slicing the loaf of dark bread, while Frolic rinsed the vegetables in a pail and dried them on a cloth. Reg built a fire, peeled a bulb of garlic, and heated some oil in a skillet. After he finished with the bread, Querry opened one of the bottles of wine and poured some for Reg and himself. As they worked, they touched each other’s hands, grazed each other’s waists, and even kissed when they passed one another. Though they’d only just met around this time last year, they worked together perfectly.
Frolic made the salad, cutting a few of the tomatoes into little rosettes. He liked details, liked creating beauty anywhere he could. Querry stood behind him and said, “It looks wonderful,” before giving Frolic a playful smack on the ass. Reg chuckled as he poured some of the bright, amethyst wine into the pot with the mussels, pieces of chopped octopus, and garlic. It sizzled and steamed. A sweet, savory aroma filled the room. Frolic smiled as Querry’s stomach rumbled. He arranged the vegetables in two wooden bowls and set them on the table. Outside, the sun fell toward the sea, chased closely by the cobalt of the night sky, so Frolic lit the candles at the center of the table before sitting down.
Reg served the seafood and poured more wine for Querry and himself. They took their places across from Frolic and ate, soaking up the fragrant broth with their bread. Frolic liked watching their jaws move as they chewed, liked the way they licked their lips and the small sounds of satisfaction they made. Watching Querry and Reg eat also got him in the mood for what usually followed. To him, it served almost as foreplay to watch the pleasure they took in their food and wine. Throughout the meal,
Frolic caught himself licking and touching his own mouth as he watched his lovers mop the flavors from theirs.
Reg dabbed his lips with a napkin and took a sip of his wine. “Is this so bad?” he asked.
Querry shook his head. “It’s delicious. I don’t think I could ever go back to that over-processed, canned stuff I lived on back in Halcyon.”
“You know that isn’t what I mean.” A little crease formed between Reg’s eyebrows, indicating his annoyance. “I’m talking about simple pleasures: a good meal, a few glasses of wine, excellent company. It’s enough for me, being here with you two, eating, talking, and going to bed. Will it ever be enough for you?”
“I—don’t know.” Querry looked deep into his glass as he swirled the jewel-like liquid around, reminding Frolic of a fortune teller divining over tea leaves he’d once seen at a market back in Halcyon.
“I don’t want to settle,” Querry said without looking up. “I have gifts. I don’t want to waste them. I know you can’t understand, Reg, but I like what I do.”
“Frolic?”
“I want both you and Querry to be happy with me. It’s hard to explain, but I like everything we do together. I love going off with Querry. It’s exciting, and it helps me forget. But I love the quiet of sitting here like this too. There must be some way to reconcile the two.”
“I have no problem reconciling anything.” Querry poured himself more wine. “Besides, Reg, you never minded before. I’ve been picking pockets and cleaning out houses since we met, and you never asked me to stop. Why the sudden concern?”
Reg looked up from his plate and caught Frolic’s gaze with his gentle, hazel eyes. “It isn’t just you anymore. You know what could happen to Frolic if he’s caught. I’m no longer a boy, either. I used to believe nothing could happen to you. Now I realize that’s not true. You nearly died of a fever in my guest room, Querry. You’d still be languishing in that filthy prison if I hadn’t saved you. I’m sorry, Querry, but you’re as mortal as the rest of us. I love you, and I don’t want to lose you.”
“What do you want me to do? I don’t want to be anyone’s whipping boy. I’ve had my fill of that for this lifetime.”
“There’s no point in worrying over all this now,” Frolic said. “We should leave it until we get back from the expedition. Both of you are always telling me not to worry over things I can’t control. We can decide what to do next after we get back. Can’t we just enjoy our last night here? I’m going to miss this little house. Someday, I’d like somewhere permanent, somewhere we can call our own.”
“We’ll never have it if we’re constantly on the run,” Reg said.
“I don’t want to think about it anymore,” Frolic said. “Not tonight. I’ve done enough thinking this afternoon while I was alone.”
“Oh, love, I’m sorry.” Reg reached across the table to take Frolic’s hand. “What can we do?”
As much as Frolic resented Reg finding him fragile, he needed the comfort. Why was everything so skewed? Why could a question never just be answered with a single, logical solution? Frolic supposed that might make existence dull and predictable. He didn’t know if it might be a fair trade, though, if it rid him of all his confusion.
He ran his fingertips over the back of Reg’s hand. “I just want to forget for a time. Reg, Querry, please—”
Querry stood and came around behind Frolic, lifting Frolic’s curls to kiss the back of his neck. His warm, slick lips moved from Frolic’s collarbone to his earlobe. “My beauty, give me a chance, and I’ll make you forget your own name.”
“You already are.” Frolic’s eyelids fluttered shut, all his attention focused on the meeting of Querry’s lips to his skin and his hand over Reg’s across the table. “Let’s give our little house a proper farewell, so we always remember our time here.”
“Yes.” Reg’s chair screeched against the tile. Before Frolic could open his eyes, Reg dropped onto his lap, straddling Frolic’s pelvis. He scooted closer until their bellies pressed together. He brushed his lips across Frolic’s as Querry nibbled the edge of Frolic’s ear. Frolic seized Reg by the back of the neck with one hand, pulling him closer, while he reached behind him to grasp Querry’s waves of dark hair with the other. He thrust his tongue between Reg’s teeth and found an eager greeting.
When Reg pulled his lips away, Frolic opened his eyes to Reg and Querry kissing enthusiastically just above his head. Both of them moaned and grunted with delight as they explored each other’s mouths. The sweet sounds aroused Frolic, as did Querry’s hand down his shirt and Reg’s moving up his thigh. With trembling hands, Frolic unbuttoned Reg’s plain white, linen shirt and let it fall open to expose his lean chest and belly. Though he lacked Querry’s wiry musculature, Reg was firm, fit, and beautiful. His skin felt warm beneath Frolic’s fervently roaming hands. Frolic grasped Reg’s waist just above his hipbones and tugged him near. He captured one of Reg’s pale nipples between his lips and sucked it into his mouth. Reg arched into Frolic, and Querry’s arm wound around both of them. He found Frolic’s nipple and circled it with the fingers of his other hand. Frolic cried out.
“Damn, Frolic, it’s like music, the sounds you make,” Querry panted, his breath moistening Frolic’s neck.
“It is,” Reg agreed, kneading Frolic’s balls through his pants while he fondled Querry’s ear. “It’s so delightful. I’ll never grow tired of it.”
“You’re both so perfect,” Querry said, right before his teeth dented the globe of Frolic’s shoulder through his coarse shirt. “I love you, Frolic. Reggie, love you….”
Reg stood slowly with his belly only a few inches from Frolic’s nose. Frolic pulled at Reg’s waistband until the buttons popped open. He pushed them down until he freed Reg’s erection. The dusky, rose-purple head poked past his foreskin, already leaking clear-white seed. Frolic thumbed the hood back to expose his partner’s swollen crown before circling it with his tongue. Reg groaned, and his hips bucked forward. Frolic opened his mouth to accept him, relishing the feeling of Reg’s hard, silken dick against his tongue. Reg took a few steps back, and Frolic fell to his knees to chase him, the chair falling over as he left it.
On his hands and knees, Frolic sucked Reg’s erection into his mouth, his throat. Querry tugged at the waistband of his trousers, growling with frustration. Reluctantly, Frolic released Reg’s delicious cock with a slurp and sat on his heels.
Reg grumbled and stroked himself.
“Damn it, let me,” Querry said, walking past Frolic to kiss Reg and jerk him. Reg’s hands traversed Querry’s body, clutching at the fabric of his clothes, pulling his shirt tails free of his pants to get at his skin beneath.
Frolic knew what he wanted. He slid his bracers over his arms and unbuttoned his shirt. “Take your clothes off. Please.”
Querry and Reg complied without hesitation. As soon as they all stood naked, their clothes tossed haphazardly across the room, Frolic dropped back onto his hands and crawled toward Reg, slowly, looking up at them from beneath his lashes, teasing them with the sway of his hips. He sat on his heels and cupped Reg’s balls, massaging them, as he ran his tongue up the length of Reg’s shaft. He felt the raised veins beneath his tongue before he closed his lips around the crown. It skipped within his mouth.
Frolic pushed himself up on his knees, raising his ass to Querry in invitation. Of course, Querry intuited Frolic’s desire. The three of them knew each other well. Querry knelt and pulled Frolic’s cheeks apart to run his tongue over Frolic’s opening. An electric jolt of pleasure shot from the point of contact up through Frolic’s body. He groaned, his throat vibrating around Reg’s shaft.
“Oh, God, love.” Reg turned his face to the ceiling and buried his fingers in Frolic’s hair, holding onto it as he circled his hips, thrusting into Frolic’s mouth.
Frolic loved pleasuring Reg and Querry this way, tasting them, exploring the weight and texture of their flesh with his lips and tongue, feeling every twitch and tremble of their bliss up close, but
it had one disadvantage. He couldn’t reciprocate the sweet, jumbled words of affection tumbling from Reg. He couldn’t tell either of them how beautiful they were or how much he loved them without stopping. He didn’t want to stop; his attentions brought Reggie closer and closer. Frolic knew by now just what his partners liked, and Reg didn’t like it when he stopped. So, as much as Frolic wanted to tell Querry to get on with it, to quit making him wait, he kept sucking hard on Reg’s crown instead.
Finally, Querry went to the stand by their bed and found the vial of oil in the top drawer. Just hearing him unscrew the cap made Frolic shiver. He slowed the movements of his mouth, still exploring the veins and ridges of Reg’s erection but with less urgency, hoping he might last, because what Frolic truly wanted was both of them inside him at the same time.
Querry circled Frolic’s opening with a cool, slick finger, tracing around the rim and making Frolic twitch with anticipation. He groaned and pushed back against Querry, which made Querry chuckle and kiss the crescent of his cheek.
“Can’t wait, beauty?”
Frolic shook his head and spread his legs a little wider. Still laughing, Querry wriggled his fingers inside Frolic and spread them open against the instinctive resistance of the muscles. Frolic had learned how to open himself to his lovers, and he relaxed to take another of Querry’s fingers. Reg raked his hair out of his face and stroked Frolic’s cheek as Querry pushed a little deeper, grazing the magic spot inside that sent bolts of intense sensation across Frolic’s body. His erection suddenly demanded attention, and Frolic moved his hand from Reg’s full, fuzzy balls to give the head a squeeze.
Querry grasped his wrist and pulled his hand away. “I’ll take care of that for you, love. Please let me.” His warm hand closed around the root of Frolic’s cock just as he slid his fingers out of Frolic and aligned the tip of his erection with Frolic’s hole.
A little squeal escaped Frolic at the tearing sensation when Querry pushed past the last vestiges of resistance and entered him. It always hurt a little at first, but Querry knew to wait for Frolic to become accustomed to it. It didn’t take long for him to push back against Querry, encouraging him. As he did, Reg grasped the back of his head, muttering nonsense as his thrusts grew short and quick. Frolic worked his tongue against the belly of Reg’s cock as Querry slid slowly in and out of him. After only a few minutes, Reg pulled out of Frolic’s mouth.
A Grimoire for the Baron Page 5
